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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · patient · cabinet · saw · safe · content · bowl · deal

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. court — of law
  4. saw — the tool
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. content — the amount
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. content — happy
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bowl — a dish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com